Therapeutical device



April 3, 1951 N. J. Poux 2,547,886

THERAPEUTICAL DEVICE Filed Jurie 24, 1947 1N VENTOR. Noel J Poux.

TORNE Patented Apr. 3, 1951 UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE THERAPEUTICAL DEVICE Noel J Poux, Meadville, Pa.` Application June 24, 1947, Serial No.v756,696

. 1 lThis, invention relates to therapeutical devices, orto ice and hot packs as they are more commonly called, for heating parts of the human body or for withdrawing heat therefrom.

' Heretofore, it has been the customary practice to use hot water bottles for application of heat to the body, or if it were desired to withdraw heat therefrom, a hot water bottle or ice bag was filled with cracked ice or ice cubes and applied to the part of the body to be treated. Such practice is not only inconvenient and laborious, but, in addition, there is always danger of leakage of the bottle or bag at the cap or plug. The

use of such bottles or bags is especially inconvenient to hospitals and sanitariums, especially at the present time with a minimum amount of help available, as a vconsiderable amount of time is consumed filling, emptying, and refilling the bottles or bags.

According to the present invention, there is provided a combination ice and hot vwater bag or pack containing a loose massof liquid-containing permanently sealed capsule-,like members vwhich are permanently sealed therein making the bag or pack ready for use.,

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved combination ice and hot pack 'which has a liquid permanently sealed therein whereby the pack can be used either as a. hot or ice pack.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved pack or article which is extremely flexible so that it can-be bent or curved so as to conform to the part of the human body to be treated. Y n

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved combination ice and hot pack which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and, at the same time, eiiicient and effective in its use. '."Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent in. the course of the following specification, and will beparticularly pointed outin the appended claims.}'

` In the accompanying drawings, there isjshown V:l'or the purpose of illustration, several embodi- Vments which my invention may assume in practice. e

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a planviewof my improved combination hot and cold pack;V l

` Fig. l2 isa sectional'viewtaken on line 2 -2 :of Fig.` 1; Fig.,3 l.is aside view, partly in section, of'my `improved device showing `how it canbecurved' 7 Claims. (C1. 62-1) Fig. 4 is aplan View of a series of capsule-like members vdisposed in the device, showing how they are made;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side View of one of the capsule-like members;

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional rview of another method by which the capsule-like members may be made;

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view'showing another method by which the capsule-like members may be made;

Fig. 9 is still another cross sectionalv view, similar to Fig. 8, showing how the capsule-like members may be made;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a modification of the device of my invention; and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line II--II of Fig. 10.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the preferred embodiment of my invention which comprises an elongated permanently sealed hollow body member 2 having a substantially flat bottom wall 3 so as to present a continuous smooth outer surface. There is secured to the bottom wall 3, as at 4, a top wall 5 so as to provide a hollow portion therebetween. Both the bottom Vwall 3 and top wall 5 may be rubber, but they are preferablymade from an impervious plastic material, such as vinyl, polyvinyl, polyethylene,

nylon, or acetate, either lm or sheet stock. The

two piecesv of material are secured together by a suitable adhesive, or are vulcanized, or hea't sealed, or preferably electronically sealed', Which is characteristic of the vinyls and some of the other plastic materials. The bottom wall or piece 3 is preferably of a heavier material than the top wall or piece 5 so that it will hold its shape Asulla-'like members preferably do not ll entirely this hollow portion but just a sufficient quantity are disposed'therein to partially fill it so as to leave the upper portion thereof hollow or empty, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to permit the device to be bent or curved, as shown in Fig. 3, When the device is so curved or bent, it will be seen that the mass of capsule-like members 8 fill entirely the hollow portion, as shown in Fig. 3.

Each of the cells or capsule-like members 8 is permanently sealed and contains a liquid, preferably water, which can either be heated or frozen depending for what purpose the device is to be used. These capsule-like members are made from an impervious flexible material, such as rubber, .or preferably from vinyl, polyvinyl, polyethylene, nylon, or acetate, either film or sheet stock, and are made preferably as shown in Figs. through 9 of the drawings.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the capsule-like members 8 are shown as being made from a piece of flexible tubing made preferably from one of the materials hereinbefore described. The itubing is lled with the liquid to be used and at spaced-apart intervals the opposed sides of the tubing are secured together, as at l0, either by a suitable adhesive, `vheat sealing, V'or preferably electronically if the material-'is capable 'of such treatment, "so as lto provide a series of permanently sealed and individual Vcells Aor compartments @which are `later separated from each other by cutting the tubing at the flat seated portions 1'0 'so las to 'prov-ide the individual cells or capsule-like members In Fig. "l, there -is -shown another method by which the capsule-like members may be made wherein an elongated piece of flat lmor sheet stock I2 is folded upon itself with the edge ,portions secured together, as at 13, so as to provide an elongated tubular member. The capsule-like members `are then formed therefrom in the .same manner for the construction shown and'described in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

VIn Fig. -8, 'there -is shown a lslight modification of Fig. 7. In this construction, two pieces of vmaterial 14 and iare used and Vdisposed on top of one another with both opposed edges secured together at IB to form Yan elongated tubular 'member. The capsule-like members lor cells are formed from this tubular member `as before. `The construction -shown in Fig/9 is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 8, lexcept there Yis provided a tubular member 'having substantially a rectangular-shaped lcross section.

In Figs. 10 Aand 1'1, there is shown a 'modified form of 'my invention. In this construction, there vis 'provided an elongated body member f8 Ihav-- ing la series of "compartments Hl formed l'therein which zare permanently "sealed AVand independent of each other. There is ialso provided .handle jportions at each end thereof-for 'ease in handling 'and 'using `the device. The lcompartments "'I'B are 'separated from each lother "by -a 'relatively fiat, wide, and thin portion 2| so that the 'device 'is Aextremely flexible so as Yto conform to :the 'part vof the body to be treated.

As shown in Fig. .11, in each of the compartments 'i9 there is disposed a quantity of rcells or capsule-like members 22, 'which are o'f the same construction as the :cells I8 in the'preferred form.

'The cells, as before, contain aliqu'id, preferably in the cells spaced-apart intervals, as at 25, to provide the relatively flat. Wide portions 2| by a suitable adhesive, by heat, sealing, or preferably electronically if the material is of such character. The cells or capsule-like members 22, of course, are placed in the compartments I9 at any suitable point during vthe fabrication of the body member before the compartments are permanently sealed. While the .compartments I9 are shown substantially rectangular-shaped both in plan and cross section, it will be understood that they may be circular, oval, or any other desired shape.

lIt willbe understood that my improved therapeutic .device may be used either as a hot or cold pack. If used as a cold pack, it is placed in a ideep .freeze uunit vor other suitable refrigerating unitso that the liquid in the capsule-like members "8 and 22 is frozen. It is preferable that the device be kept in such a unit at all times so that .it 'is ready for use. If the device Iis to `beu'sed as fa hotvpack, it .is placed .in @boiling mater, a fsteam chamber, for some lother :suitable heating device Vso 'as to heat the 'liquid 'in the capsule- 1lil e-menibers8 and 22'.

As la lresult lof 'my invention, it `will be :seen "that 'there "is 'provided a therapeutic .device `rin which the liquid .isvpermanently sealed and ready Yfor use fa'tJall ltimes, Athe liquid being :placed '.'intthe device .by the manufacturer. 'fit will also :bezseen ythat my device '.is not :only :flexible in vvits :construction fso that -it will .conform to any Airregular rsurfaces, ibut lalso fis flexible @in fits Lusein' that it .can be :used :either :as a device vfor .supplying 'heat :or :for withdrawing heat, as desired.

While I have y.shown and `described vvseveralwembodiments 'which -my invention may iassume rin practice, f-itiw'ill beiunderstoodthat these .embode ments are merely for the purpose illustration :and :'descripti'on, .and 'that otherforms mayI be devised within the scope of .my invention fas de- -ned Iinithe appendedelaims.

`What I :claim .as Amy invention is.:

f1. A therapeuticalfdeviceof the -cilassdescrifbed comprising a hollow body member made of lflexible material. and Aa vplurality of capsule-like members'l'oosely Ydisposed in .the fhollow portion of said body member, each ,of said capsule-like members being permanently sealed and containing a liquid which is adapted I-to be 'either `heated orfrozen. '2. A therapeutical Idevice of -the classd'le'- scribed, Jas Vdefined in claim l, wherein `each fof fthe capsule-like members is made Vfrom 'an imi pervious exible material.

'3. A therapeutical device of the `class described acomprising a permanently sealed hollow body member made of 'flexible material y'and ia plurality of capsule-'like members loosely jdisposed in the hollow portionsuicient to lill only a'portion'fofthe hollow portion thereof so 'as to leave 'a 'space between `said mass 'of capsules and the innertop side of said body Amember so asto Ypermit said device 4to conform to any curvedgportion of the "body to which 4it Yis applied, each Vof said capsule-like members 'being permanently sealed and containing a liquid which vis adapted to be either heated or frozen.

.4. Atherapeuticaldevice.of the .class described comprising an elongated ,permanently sealed hollow :body .member :made ,of Yflexible material and a plurality of capsule-like members disposed in the .hollow portionthereof `sb .as to provide a loose .mass of capsule-like members therein, each of said capsule-like Amembers .made v4from kan 'ixnpervious flexible material and being permanently sealed and containing a liquid which is adapted to be either heated or frozen.

5. A therapeutical device of the class described comprising a permanently sealed hollow body member made of iiexible material, one side of said member having a fiat continuous exterior surface having means arranged at each end thereof for attaching the device to the part of the body to be treated, and a plurality of capsulelike members disposed in the hollow portion of said body member so as to provide a loose mass of capsule-like members, each of said capsulelike members being permanently sealed and containing a liquid which is adapted to be heated or frozen.

6. A therapeutical device of the class described comprising a permanently sealed hollow body member made of flexible material and a plurality of relatively small capsule-like members loosely disposed en masse in the hollow portion of said body member, each of said capsule-like members made of an impervious flexible material selected from the group consisting of rubber, Vinyl, polyvinyl, polyethylene, nylon, and acetate and containing a liquid which is permanently sealed therein.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

` Unirse STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 699,778 Upham May 13, 1902 1,570,128 Carter Jan. 19, 1926 2,011,832 Slater Aug. 20, 1935 2,152,467 Crosby Mar. 28, 1939 2,203,591 Brown June 4, 1940 2,264,971 Glennan Dec. 2, 1941 

